From a theoretical standpoint, it contributes to the ongoing debate of ethical and fair use of AI [1]}—the emergent field of Responsible AIhttps://www.bell-labs.com/research-innovation/responsible-ai. As we showed, one needs to consider whether a technology is irresponsible in the first place well before its design. While tracking facial expressions is supported from current technology (viable) and can be done in seamless ways (unobtrusive), it was yet considered to be irresponsible (causing harm) in the office context. This translates into saying that companies should be more thoughtful about the ways they manage their workforce, and not deploying tools just because the technology allows them to. To determine whether a technology is irresponsible is a complex matter though, not least because it entails ethical concepts that are hard to define. That is why new approaches helping AI developers and industry leaders think about multi-faceted Responsible AI concepts should be developed in the near future.
From a practical standpoint, the Ubicomp community currently focuses on how to design better technologies by blending them into the background: monitoring movements in a building through wifi signals [2]}, for example, remain hidden. The problem is that, by blending technologies into the background, individuals are unaware of them and, as a result, their ethical concerns are often overlooked. That is why the Ubicomp community's aspiration of blending technologies needs to go hand-in-hand with the need of unpacking AI ethics.
